Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Bobby had his first trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium yesterday. (I am determined to make him an animal-lover like me!!) In spite of the near record heat and almost unbearable humidity, it was a great day. He's still too young to enjoy all the animals (a lot of them were sleeping and/or not moving due to the heat/humidity) but he really seemed to enjoy the Elephants (aka the "Dumbos") and the sea life in the aquarium. One of the new experiences is the "Water's Edge" exhibit where the polar bears and sea otters are. There is a tunnel part that allows you to go under the water and see the Polar Bears in the water. The Zoo website describes it as follows:

"The new Underwater Polar Bear Tunnel is one of the most exciting features of Water’s Edge. Experience the thrill of seeing an 800-pound polar bear diving into the water above your head. You can hear the thunderous impact and almost feel the vibration of the waves as he swims overhead or dives beside you for a look.
Experience Water's Edge, you'll be glad you did! "

We got to the tunnel part, and the polar bear was nowhere near the water. Then we read the sign that the polar bears spend only about 10% of their day in the water. We figured that our chances of timing it so we were there during any portion of that 10% was slim to none. However, given that the tunnel area was air-conditioned, no harm in waiting for a bit.

Lucky for us, the Bear's toy fell into the water. We saw him approach the water's edge...then turn away. Then he came back...the anticipation was killing us, until finally

*SPLASH* that magnificent animal dove right in, practically on top of my niece, Aislinn's head. We all cheered and clapped--even Bobby!

Here's some of what we saw: